Research reveals a mixed picture regarding Facebook uses and psychological
effects associated with them. This study looks at this issue through the lens of
the psychoanalytic concept of containment. We combined this concept with
the anxious and avoidant forms of attachment to create a framework with
which to investigate the active and passive uses of Facebook. Using a questionnaire
administered to 275 Israeli students, we established that the need for
containment predicted logging onto and posting on Facebook after negative
experiences. In addition, fulfillment of one’s need for containment was associated
with posting on Facebook. We also observed a positive change in one’s
feelings about oneself and one’s subjective sense of visibility after posting on
Facebook. These results offer a new approach to exploring both Facebook use
and its effects.
References
[1]
Smith, C. (2017) By the Numbers: 200+ Amazing Facebook Users Statistics. Retrieved February 14 from
http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/resource-how-many-people-use-the-top-social-media/
[2]
Fardouly, J. and Vartanian, L.R. (2015) Negative Comparisons about One’s Appearance Mediate the Relationship between Facebook Usage and Body Image Concerns. Body Image, 12, 82-88.? https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.10.004
[3]
Junco, R. (2015) Student Class Standing, Facebook Use, and Academic Performance. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 36, 18-29.?
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2014.11.001
[4]
Pai, P. and Arnott, D.C. (2013) User Adoption of Social Networking Sites: Eliciting Uses and Gratifications through a Means-End Approach [Electronic Version]. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1039-1053. Retrieved from?
http://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-in-human-behavior/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.025
[5]
Papacharissi, Z. and Mendelson, A. (2011) 12 toward a New(er) Sociability: Uses, Gratifications and Social Capital on Facebook. In: Papathanassopoulos, S., Ed., Media Perspectives for the 21st Century. Routledge, New York, 212-230.
[6]
Park, N., Kee, K.F. and Valenzuela, S. (2009) Being Immersed in Social Networking Environment: Facebook Groups, Uses and Gratifications, and Social Outcomes [Electronic Version]. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12, 729-733. Retrieved from http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/cpb/11/1
https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2009.0003
[7]
Song, H., Zmyslinski-Seelig, A., Kim, J., Drent, A., Victor, A., Omori, K. and Allen, M. (2014) Does Facebook Make You Lonely? A Meta Analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 36, 446-452.? https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.011
[8]
Ellison, N.B., Steinfield, C. and Lampe, C. (2007) The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites [Electronic Version]. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1143-1168. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x
[9]
Smock, A.D., Ellison, N.B., Lampe, C. and Wohn, D.Y. (2011) Facebook as a Toolkit: A Uses and Gratification Approach to Unbundling Feature Use [Electronic Version]. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 2322-2329. Retrieved from
http://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-in-human-behavior/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2011.07.011
[10]
Steinfield, C., Ellison, N.B. and Lampe, C. (2008) Social Capital, Self-Esteem, and Use of Online Social Network Sites: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29, 434-445.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.002
[11]
Joinson, A.N. (2008) Looking at, Looking up or Keeping up with People? Motives and Use of Facebook. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM, New York, 1027-1036.
https://doi.org/10.1145/1753326.1753613
[12]
Sauter, T. (2014) What’s on Your Mind? Writing on Facebook as a Tool for Self-Formation. New Media & Society, 16, 823-839.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813495160
[13]
Burke, M., Marlow, C. and Lento, T. (2010) Social Network Activity and Social Well-Being. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM, 1909-1912.?
[14]
Deters, F.G. and Mehl, M.R. (2012) Does Posting Facebook Status Updates Increase or Decrease Loneliness? An Online Social Networking Experiment. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4, 579-586.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612469233
[15]
Valkenburg, P.M. and Peter, J. (2007) Online Communication and Adolescent Well-Being: Testing the Stimulation versus the Displacement Hypothesis. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1169-1182.?
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00368.x
[16]
Appel, H., Gerlach, A.L. and Crusius, J. (2016) The Interplay between Facebook Use, Social Comparison, Envy and Depression. Current Opinions and Psychology, 9, 44-49.
[17]
Shakya, H.B. and Christakis, N.A. (2017) Association of Facebook Use with Compromised Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study [Electronic Version]. American Journal of Epidemiology, 185, 203-211.
[18]
Steers, M.L.N., Wickham, R.E. and Acitelli, L.K. (2014) Seeing Everyone Else’s Highlight Reels: How Facebook Usage Is Linked to Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 33, 701-731.?
https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2014.33.8.701
[19]
Tandoc, E.C., Ferrucci, P. and Duffy, M. (2015) Facebook Use, Envy, and Depression among College Students: Is Facebooking Depressing? Computers in Human Behavior, 43, 139-146.?
[20]
Verduyn, P., Lee, D.S., Park, J., Shablack, H., Orvell, A., Bayer, J., Ybarra, O., Jonides, J. and Kross, E. (2015) Passive Facebook Usage Undermines Affective Well-Being: Experimental and Longitudinal Evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144, 480. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000057
[21]
Beaudry, R. (2015) Pew Research Says: Facebook and Twitter Reduce Stress in Women.
http://www.capitalberg.com/pew-research-says-facebook-twitter-reduce-stress-women/23515/
[22]
Jain, A. (2015) Facebook, Twitter Can Lower Stress among Women [Study].
http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/01/facebook-twitter-lower-stress-women/
[23]
Kannan, R. (2015) Facebook Either Improves or Worsens Mental Health: Research.
http://www.thenewsreports.com/facebook-either-improves-worsens-mental-health-research/15703/ruby-kannan
[24]
Bion, W.R. (1984) Second Thoughts: Selected Papers on Psycho-Analysis. Karnac, London.
[25]
Bronsky, A. (n.d.) On the Development of Containment Ability.
http://www.amibronsky.com/ArticleInner.aspx?iCatId=26&iPageId=117
[26]
Winnicott, D.W. (1971) Playing and Reality. Routledge, London.
[27]
Ogden, T. (1992) The Matrix of the Mind: Object Relations and the Psychoanalytic Dialogue. Hebrew Edition 2005, Tolaat Sfarim, TLV, Karnac Books, New York.
[28]
Perlov, M. (2011) Holding, Containment and in between Them.
http://www.hebpsy.net/articles.asp?id=2655
[29]
Blos, P. (1979) The Adolescent Passage: Developmental Issues. International Universities Press, New York.?
[30]
Stern, D.N. (1985) The Interpersonal World of the Infant: A View from Psychoanalysis and Developmental Psychology. Basic Books, New York.
[31]
Sundén, J. (2003) Material Virtualities: Approaching Online Textual Embodiment. Peter Lang, New York.
[32]
Turkle, S. (1995) Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. Simon & Schuster, New York.
[33]
Mikulincer, M. and Shaver, P.R. (2007) Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change. Guilford Press, New York.
[34]
Bowlby, J. (1969) Attachment and Loss 1: Attachment. Hogarth Press, London.
[35]
Shaver, P.R. and Mikulincer, M. (2005) Attachment Theory and Research: Resurrection of the Psychodynamic Approach to Personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 39, 22-45.?
[36]
Oldmeadow, J.A., Quinn, S. and Kowert, R. (2013) Attachment Style, Social Skills, and Facebook Use amongst Adults. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1142-1149.?
[37]
Holmes, J. (1993) Attachment Theory: A Biological Basis for Psychotherapy? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 430-438.? https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.163.4.430
[38]
Brennan, K.A., Clark, C.L. and Shaver, P.R. (1998) Self-Report Measurement of Adult Attachment: An Integrative Overview. In: Jimpson, J.A. and Rholes, W.S., Eds., Attachment Theory and Close Relationships, The Guildford Press, New York, 46-76.
[39]
Hart, J., Nailling, E., Bizer, G.Y. and Collins, C.K. (2015) Attachment Theory as a Framework for Explaining Engagement with Facebook. Personality and Individual Differences, 77, 33-40.?
[40]
Sandler, J. (1988) Projection, Identification, Projective Identification. Karnac Books, London.?
[41]
McAndrew, F.T. and Jeong, H.S. (2012) Who Does What on Facebook? Age, Sex, and Relationship Status as Predictors of Facebook Use. Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 2359-2365.?
[42]
Thompson, S.H. and Lougheed, E. (2012) Frazzled by Facebook? An Exploratory Study of Gender Differences in Social Metwork Communication among Undergraduate Men and Women. College Student Journal, 88-98.
[43]
Bevan, J.L., Gomez, R. and Sparks, L. (2014) Disclosures about Important Life Events on Facebook: Relationships with Stress and Quality of Life. Computers in Human Behavior, 39, 246-253.?
[44]
Rosenberg, M. (1965) Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton University Press, Princeton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400876136
[45]
Seiber, W.J., Groessl, E.J., David, K.M., Ganiats, T.G. and Kaplan, R.M. (2008) Quality of Well Being Self-Administered (QWB-SA) Scale. Health Services Research Center, University of California, San Diego.?
